Barcats launches free training program to help recovery of New Zealand’s Hospitality Industry

New Zealand’s fastest growing hospitality platform, Barcats, in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development is launching a free Job Ready employment program with a three-fold benefit to help the hospitality industry in its recovery from the impacts of the COVID pandemic.

The pilot program involves two training courses to be held this month with Barcats Chief Executive and founder Jeffrey Williams (pictured below) advising “the Job Ready Program will have a three-fold effect: helping both the New Zealand economy and the hospitality sector, which has been impacted by the pandemic, and helping those in the community to get back to work.”

The five-day course, to be held in South Auckland, will give candidates the skills and attitude to secure employment in the hospitality sector. There will be a strong focus on practical skills with real-life scenarios. It’s hoped the program will be later extended to different regions across New Zealand.

Williams said some of things participants would learn included food safety and liquor licence compliance, hygiene standards and practical skills such as how to pour a beer, how to polish a glass correctly and how to take large orders.

“We will also teach them how to work as a team which is vital for a successful hospitality business. This is positive news for not only New Zealand’s hospitality industry, but for people struggling to get a job. We want to not only help the long-term unemployed, but also assist people who lost their jobs due to COVID.

“The industry needs staff at every level, with hundreds of jobs available in hospitality venues around the country. Trained workers will help fill these roles in what will be a huge win-win for hospitality venues and for the many New Zealanders whose employment prospects have been impacted by COVID-19.”

Williams said more hospitality workers than ever were needed with the highly transmissible Omicron variant rapidly spreading around the globe. 

“With uncertainty surrounding when international borders will open New Zealand hospitality venues are worried about the future and asking for more trained workers as they do not know when international workers can return,” he said,

Attendees will be assigned a senior Barcats staff member as a mentor who will not only help them throughout the program, but help them get a job at the end of the course through Barcats’ extensive employer network.

To be eligible for the course, applicants must be over 25 years of age and receiving benefits from the Government.

The new program, held the week of February 14th and 28th, has been described as not only a life-line for the hospitality industry, but a boost for job seekers.

Hamish Klein, Operations Manager at Good Group Hospitality adds "the hospitality industry continues to struggle to find quality candidates to adequately staff businesses because of the pandemic.

“Training to help Kiwis upskill/reskill like Job Ready by Barcats will certainly help."

Barcats mentors will help the participants fill out a profile on the Barcats job platform and role play different interview scenarios.

“When the course finishes, we won’t just leave our participants alone. The mentors will continue to support them as they settle into their new roles and beyond,” Williams said.

In 2020, New Zealand’s hospitality sector was one of the most impacted by COVID-19, with more than 61,000 people with working holiday and student visas leaving the country.

“Barcats, the fastest growing hospitality community in Australia and New Zealand, is enhancing local employment opportunities at no better time,” Williams added.  

Find out more on Barcats at www.barcats.co.nz